


Cherokee Rose

by NeuroWriter14



Series: Chronicles From Hell [1]
Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: M/M, Mention of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:23:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3383141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeuroWriter14/pseuds/NeuroWriter14





	Cherokee Rose

Daryl heard the screaming before he saw them. Two girls and a guy, being chased by a whole hell of a lot of walkers. Daryl was running to try to help, the one girl was just little. The older one turned to the guy, pushed the little one into his arms, telling him something frantically.  
The guy began to run with the little girl wrapped tightly in his arms. His short brown hair was plastered to his forehead from swear as he forced a blonde head against his shoulder, so the girl couldn’t see.   
Behind them, the older girl pulled out a machete, and started hacking at the walkers, taking them out one by one. Had Daryl not seen that she was injured, he would have known that she could handle it all on her own.   
The boy saw Daryl and ran to him. “There’s a barn that way.” He said pointing as he pulled out his knife. “Run and tell them Daryl sent ya.” The boy nodded and ran the way Daryl pointed.  
Daryl ran to the girl’s aid. She was getting tired, Daryl could tell. Before long the both of them had every walker, maybe fifty or so, dead. The girl was weak.   
"Are ya bit?" Daryl asked. The girl shook her head. She lifted the side of her shirt to show a wound, a stab wound. "How’d ya get that?" She looked near collapsing. Daryl offered her a hand and she gladly took it, leaning against him. "Him." She said with a wave of her hand.  
Daryl looked and saw the man. He was a big man, slow. How the walkers had not gotten him yet Daryl didn’t know. Then he saw the girl leaning against him and he understood. “Been takin’ care a all three of ‘em?” Daryl asked. She nodded against his shoulder, almost out.   
Daryl waited for the bug guy before he lead them back to the camp. Well, he lead the guy, half dragged the girl. By the time they got back, she was barely conscious.   
"Help!" Daryl yelled. "I need help!"  
———  
It scared the hell out of Rick hearing Daryl’s call for help. It was bad enough he as already riled up from not being able to communicate with the boy Daryl had sent.   
Daryl was half dragging a girl, with cropped short brown hair and dirty as much as the rest of them. A big guy with a bald head followed.   
Daryl dragged the girl in. He pulled up the side of her shirt and kept pressure on her side. People were frozen. “Help.” Daryl demanded.   
People rushed into action. Rick dropped next to his companion, helping to put pressure on the bleeding wound.   
"Bit?" Rick asked. Daryl shook his head. "Stabbed."   
They worked quickly. The girl was asleep by nightfall.  
Her screams of pain echoed just as Carl’s had so long before. But Daryl never left her side. He watched her. All night long. Rick watched him. The boy and the little girl sat near her too, but they seemed to be too scared to come close to Daryl. Rick didn’t blame them.   
At some point in the night he moved close to Daryl and the two watched her.   
"What’s her name?" Rick asked the two. It was the little girl who answered. "Miranda. And I’m Emily. And this is Michael." She pointed to the boy who’s arms she was in. Emily looked at the two of them, the odd duo that was Rick and Daryl. "Who are you?"   
Rick answered, “‘M Rick. That’s Daryl.” Rick looked at the boy, Michael. “How come you don’t talk?” Emily answered again, “He only speaks Spanish.”  
"Where ya from?" Daryl asked. "New Mexico." Emily answered accompanied by a nod from Michael. "Way out west. Musta took a long time ta travel all da way here." Daryl’s accent seemed to get heavier. Rick could tell he was worried.  
The girl began to stir. “Miranda.” Emily scooted closer. “If I wake up and we’re still in this hell I ain’t wakin’ up at all.” Daryl chuckled. Rick was shocked. Daryl actually chuckled. “Sorry ‘bout that.”   
Miranda groaned. “Don’t be. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you.” Her eyes were still closed.   
"You deserve it you little bitch." The bald man finally spoke, but it was a growl. "You led them straight to us. You wanna git us killed? Huh? Me and your sister?!" Emily covered her sister with her hands when the man began to charge. "Don’t hurt her daddy! She’s already hurt!" Daryl stood and blocked the man. "Wanted to git her heart. Not like she has one." Rick knew immediately what was happening right away. He stood too, pushed the man away from Miranda.   
"You stay away from her." He growled. "You can’t keep me from ma own daughter." The man spat. "Sure as hell can." Daryl answered. The two made a wall in front of the girl. Rick was more than willing to protect her. Hell if Daryl was willing to, he would. He trusted Daryl with his everything.  
———  
Daryl was fuming. Bad enough this shit happened to him, but now he finds out it’s still happening to a girl. A girl he didn’t know, he reminded himself. But he did. In a strange, twisted way, Daryl knew the girl. Better than her own sister probably.   
Daryl would have gladly killed the man, he was even drawing his knife, had he not felt the pull on his pant leg. He dropped down next to Miranda as she struggled to sit up. “Don’t.” She whispered to him. “He ain’t worth it.”  
Rick had managed to force the man to the other side of the barn. Carol and the rest purposefully placed themselves between the girl and the man, Carol specifically glaring at him.   
Daryl was glad she wasn’t the same as when she was with Ed. She was stronger now.   
Daryl sat with Miranda. She leaned against him, unable to sit up on her own. Emily had moved her way to be tucked under the girl’s arm. Michael sat on the other side of Emily.   
"Gringo es el diablo." Michael said. "Wha’d you call me boy?" The bald man spluttered. "Shut up." Miranda grunted. "You’re giving me a headache." The man growled. "Don’t you talk to me like that girl." Daryl tightened his grip on Miranda. "Hey. She said shudup so shudup." The man was quiet.  
———-  
Miranda was bored. Honest to god bored. Daryl hadn’t let her go anywhere by herself since she got here. She understood why. No one ever left her alone with her father when they found out about how much of a prick he was. But she just wanted to do something. Anything.  
Killing zombies was easy. Before, murder was illegal. And when the disease hit, all the idiots died first. Except her father. So to keep herself from killing him, she killed them. Loads of them. Twenty at a time.  
Miranda slept next to Daryl. They sat up, leaning on each other for support. Rick slept on the other side of Daryl, on Daryl’s right. Carl, Rick’s son, slept by Rick’s feet with Judith, Rick’s daughter. On Miranda’s left slept Emily and on her left, Michael. Daryl kept Miranda’s right side clean. She was grateful.   
Daryl was her saving grace. Her guardian angel, she thought to herself. Part of her secretly wished he and Rick had something going. She could see the ease that they had with one another and she wanted her savior to be happy.   
Miranda fell asleep on his shoulder.   
She was accepted into Oxford. She was going to take Emily and run to England. They offered her a full scholarship and everything. She was going to leave her father, save her sister. And they would be safe. Until her father found out. He threatened to kill Emily if she didn’t reject the college offer.   
Miranda stole her first car two days later. It was a fiery red convertible. She blasted Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55.” She still had the scar on her back for that.   
Miranda woke to Daryl saying her name. She had been fighting her sleep. She saw the time she had been shot, jumped in front of the gun for her mother. That shot and the one that followed ensured she could never have kids.   
She was shaking in Daryl’s arms. “I hate him.” She said against his chest. I want him dead.” She was crying against his shirt. Daryl held her tighter.   
———-  
In the next couple of days, Daryl went on a run and took Miranda’s father with him. It was an accident, what happened next.   
Daryl came back alone.   
He had not seen Miranda happier since she arrived. “He’s gone. He’s really gone.”   
That was the first time he’d seen dancing since the world went to shit.   
It was Michael who outright thanked him.   
"I thought ya only spoke Spanish." Daryl asked. "We just pretended to keep Miranda’s dad from trying to do anything to me." Daryl couldn’t help but smile.  
———  
Rick was out with Daryl, hunting. They hadn’t spoken a word. Rick was looking around when he met eyes with Daryl. “You and Miranda seem to be getting pretty close.” Daryl scoffed. “She’s half my age.” Rick felt a ball inside him release. It was good to know that Daryl didn’t have anything with the girl, who Rick was secretly jealous of. But he covered his own tracks. “I was just meaning that you two had similar situations. It’s good that you have someone to talk to. To empathize with.” Rick shrugged and started moving again.  
"She’s not even the one I think of that way." Daryl said quietly. "Oh." Rick answered, both jealous and curious. "Yeah." Daryl got closer.   
Rick’s breath caught. “Daryl.”  
———-  
Daryl didn’t know what he was doing. But being with Miranda gave him hope. She was happy. She had found happiness. If she could, he could too.  
Then the screaming started. “Not again.” Daryl grumbled as he ran back with Rick on his heals.   
The walkers were dead in no time, as they ran across a huge distance. They were far away, and Miranda was suddenly frantic.  
"Emily! Emily! Emily where are you?!" She shouted. "Miranda." He tried to calm her. Miranda started to run backward. Daryl followed.   
They found them. Michael and Emily, both bitten. Miranda put a bullet in both of their heads.  
————  
Miranda hadn’t talked for weeks. She mourned her family. The only people she had. And they were gone.  
"I should leave." She said to Daryl and Rick as the searched the fence around the farm house they found. "Why?" Daryl asked. "I don’t belong here. I’m just an extra mouth to feed. A nuisance." Rick came to her. "No. No you’re not." He pulled her in for a hug. "You’re family. Just as much as the rest of us."   
"He’s right." Daryl agreed.  
"Thank you." Was Miranda’s only answer.   
————  
The group came across a dog. He was tame and not timid, came right up to them. Daryl was going to shoot it. It would be dinner. But Miranda interfered. “No.”  
She blocked the black dog. Her chocolate eyes pierced his. Rick looked back and forth between the two. “We need the food.” He said finally, and Daryl was inclined to agree. But then he turned back to Miranda.   
"I said no." She crossed her arms. The dog looked at her, wagging its tail. "Can’t you tell?" She asked, patting the dog’s head. "Tell what?" Daryl asked. "He’s a hunting dog. As in he can help us find food." The dog looked up at Miranda.   
"Fine." Rick finally relented. "But if we don’t find food soon, he’s it." Miranda nodded. Rick walked forward and the dog growled. "Heel." Miranda snapped and the dog sat at her side. "I’m gonna call him Zeus." The dog wagged its tail at her.   
———-  
Miranda was right. They did find food. Rick was happy she was as stubborn as Daryl.  
———  
Daryl and Miranda were talking when the walkers came up. Miranda killed every last one with no problem.   
"Ya saved my life." Daryl said. Miranda nodded. "I know how you can repay me." Daryl raised an eyebrow. "Go get your muscles ass over to Ranger Rick and tell him how much you love him." Daryl was about to protest but she cut him off with a look. "He loves you too. Now go." She shooed him away.  
———-  
Rick had never been happier in his life, and he had Miranda to thank.   
He and Daryl came back to the camp happy as clams and Miranda grinned smugly at them. “Kiss kiss kiss.” She whispered as she walked behind them.   
Daryl smirked before pulling Rick in for a long, sloppy kiss. Carl pretended to gag and the others cheered. “‘Bout time.” Carol said.  
"Now, how can I thank you?" Rick asked Miranda.  
"Get me to a W.H.O." She said matter-of-factly. "Why?" Rick asked. "Can you get your hands on someone who died but hasn’t changed? Even shot in the head?" Daryl nodded this time.   
"Good. And I need a dead walker. And all of you." She waved her hand at everyone. "Can do. But why?" Rick asked.   
"I need the walker and the dead to test them against living samples of blood, DNA. I can use the stuff left at the W.H.O. to see if I can find a cure."  
———-  
Daryl knew Miranda was incredibly smart, but finding a cure seemed impossible.   
She pointed to a place on a map. “There’s a W.H.O. here that runs on nuclear power. We can use that.”   
Daryl looked at her. “How do you know? That it’s there, that it has nuclear power?” She looked back at him, “Because I told the main engineer to run it off nuclear. I interned there over a summer.” Rick nodded.  
"Why do you want to take that long of a trip?" He asked finally. Daryl felt Rick grab his hand for support. Daryl squeezed back. "They took everything away from us. All of us." Miranda looked around the group. "I think it’s high time we took the world back from them."  
On the way, Daryl told Miranda the story of the Cherokee rose. Miranda had begun to think of Emily. When they got there, Miranda did find a cure. It was called Cherokee rose. Then Miranda made Daryl propose to Rick. It was a good wedding.


End file.
